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Beach Bungalow Transformation – Simple Airbnb Refresh

In 2019, I started my first Airbnb property. The house needed a refresh and in this post I am sharing the BEFORE and AFTER of my little beach bungalow. With a little paint and a little love, there’s so much you can do! See some before and after shots of this simple but effective Airbnb makeover.

The Beach Life Bungalow by Beach Life Bliss Vacations
Rent the space on Airbnb

Follow on Instagram @BeachLifeBungalow

The Beach Life Bungalow is my very own AirBnb vacation rental located in Lake Worth Beach, Florida.

Coastal inspired, large private backyard, close to the beach and perfect location in an eclectic beach town.


Before & After

I bought this 1940’s bungalow style home in Lake Worth Beach last year to turn into an AirBnb!

It needed some help when I first looked at it but knew there was so much potential.

Here are some before and after looks of how I turned this house from boring and dated to coastal and vibrant!


The Living Room

Walking into the front door, there is a pretty spacious living area. It was a little quirky but for a ~750 square foot house, I could see the layout really working for vacation renters.

I’ve rented many Airbnb’s in the past and my only requirements for the living area are usually that it’s clean and roomy enough for the whole family!

Here is a shot of the BEFORE. Just blah, right?!

Beach Life Bungalow Before Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation

Here is how we transformed this living area space into something colorful and beachy while also being open and airy (for a somewhat tiny living room).

Beach Life Bungalow After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation

There wasn’t that much to be done in this room except for furnishing, putting some window treatments in, and a little paint.

The walls already had a cool texture that give the room some dimension and character.

Beach Life Bungalow Living Room After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover
Beach Life Bungalow Living Room After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover

We knew we wanted to sleep as many people as possible so we decided to purchase new couches so that we could get a pullout sofa in the living room.

The sofa and love seat combination works perfectly in this space. It’s open the the kitchen and enough seating for the whole family.

The bright blue area rug was a bold choice but I think it makes the whole room feel bigger.

I got this custom surfboard sign from Etsy! It is perfect over the entryway table.


The Kitchen

The kitchen wasn’t THAT bad but it really needed some love. The appliances were new and the previous owner had just replaced the hardware on the cabinets.

But it just didn’t fit the look and feel that I was going for.

Here is THE BEFORE….

Beach Life Bungalow Kitchen Before Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation

See what I mean about the hardware on the kitchen cabinets? They were a chrome color and felt like plastic. Not classy at all! They had to GO.

After a few DIY projects and some TLC, the kitchen transformed into THIS!

Beach Life Bungalow Kitchen After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation

I decided on a bold and colorful mosaic back splash. I was worried it was going to be a little busy at first but it turned out perfect.

The kitchen needed some flare and the back splash definitely did the trick. I even installed the back splash all by myself, YAY!

Beach Life Bungalow Kitchen After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover
Beach Life Bungalow Kitchen After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover

The open cabinets on the top was a last minute decision but I’m so glad we did it! The original cabinet fronts were pretty dingy looking.

I painted the bottom ones but it was feeling so closed off with all of the cabinet fronts.

By taking off the cabinet fronts completely on the top, I was able to create an open shelving concept. I painted just the back side of the cabinet a cool coastal blue color!

Vacation renters don’t really need closed cabinets like we might at home to keep the clutter down. Having all of the dishes in plain sight is a good way to showcase some of what your kitchen has to offer!

Beach Life Bungalow Kitchen After Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation

I installed the modern black cabinet pull handles to tie in to the black appliances. Black appliances are not always the favorite but by tying it into the design, it works.

If you saw the living room pictures above, you might have noticed the bright blue door.

The door in the kitchen that leads to the backyard is painted the same color!

It’s really a focal point of the house and is perfect for the beach house style.


The Bedrooms

Each of the 2 bedrooms in this house needed some paint! I choose 2 different shades of beachy turquoise blue. They are similar but different and compliment the design I chose for each room.

Here is what each bedroom looked like before!

Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom Before Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation

Transforming the bedrooms with minimal changes!

Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom After  Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover - Flamingo Bedroom

All we needed to do here was paint and furnish!

Unfortunately the ceilings were also a strange color. And they are a pain in the butt to paint!

I decided to use a theme for each bedroom. Here is the flamingo bedroom!

I searched high and low for all the cutest flamingo decor I could find.

The flamingo blanket on the bed was something I found even before I bought the house. I just knew it had to be used in a bedroom design somehow.

Although, one of my favorite pieces in this room is the large flamingo painting above the bed. I found this at an estate sale down the street!

Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom After  Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover - Flamingo Bedroom

Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom After  Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover - Flamingo Bedroom


The second bedroom is a turtle ocean themed bedroom

Turtles are a staple in coastal inspired home designs!

I have them throughout my house and I knew I could find some fun turtle decor. The turtle area rug under the bed is one of my favs!

Turtle Bedroom - Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom After  Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover
Turtle Ocean Bedroom - Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom After  Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover
Turtle Ocean Bedroom - Beach Life Bungalow Bedroom After  Photo - Coastal Vibrant Transformation - AirBnb Makeover

Outdoor Living Makeover

One of the biggest transformations was the backyard. It had been neglected for a while.

A chain link fence…yuck!

A sad concrete patio with no character… ew!

No shade what so ever… way too hot in south Florida!

Backyard Makeover - Before the transformation
Backyard makeover - Covered patio area with table and grill
Backyard makeover - Simple outdoor seating area
Backyard makeover - Covered patio with lights at night
Backyard makeover - hammock under the palm trees
Backyard makeover - grill with grass area and couches

Share This Post!

shaun

Thursday 12th of May 2022

Can you tell me the paint colors you used for each room?

Krisztina

Thursday 30th of September 2021

I like the way you transformed the outside. I want to have the same kind of covering for the patio. Where is that from? I'm in South Florida as well. Thanks

beachlifebliss

Wednesday 6th of October 2021

Thank you!! We used a company that does insulated aluminum patio covers. I actually found them on Facebook marketplace and it was custom to this patio. If you go on FB marketplace and search local for "aluminum patio awning" or something like that, you should be able to find someone in your area.

Sally Ann Harmon

Monday 18th of January 2021

Where is that living room rug from?

beachlifebliss

Tuesday 19th of January 2021

It's from Wayfair! It's called the Templeton Ocean Blue Area Rug - here is the link: https://rstyle.me/+6Hp6or0zNu3Pi6iOMumdVQ